Fast Food for Thought
by Thinking of Theo
Summary: Fast food Teen Wolf AU that no one asked for. Liam starts working at Beacon Hills' Burgers, the best fast food place in town. Theo is homeless, but comes in to Beacon Hills' Burgers whenever he can, with whatever money he can scrounge up. Liam quickly becomes drawn to the mysterious stranger and wants to help him in any way he can.
1. Chapter 1

Liam adjusted his hat as he walked into the store. The door chimed as he entered. It was his first day working at Beacon Hills' Burgers. Summer had just started, so Liam felt like it was a good time to find a job. He felt lucky he was able to get a job at the most popular fast food place in the entire town. He would not have gotten the job if it was not for his friend Scott being a shift manager and putting in a good word for Liam. Speaking of Scott, he looked up from the cash register when he heard Liam enter the restaurant.

"Hey, Liam! Excited for your first day? I see that you have your uniform on already, great job. I wish I could train you myself, but I have to finish cash count really quick," Scott said. "Hey Mason, come over here really quick," Scott shouted behind him. Soon, another guy who looked to be around Liam's age appeared from around the corner.

"Liam, this is Mason. Mason, this is Liam. It's his first day so, I would appreciate it if you showed him around the store and trained him as much as you can. Thank you." With that, Scott went back to counting the money in the cash register.

"Nice to meet you, Liam. I've never trained anyone before, so forgive me if I forget something. I guess I'll show you where everything is and stuff, so follow me," Mason said. He gave Liam a quick tour of the kitchen, dish room, walk-in fridge and freezer, and the break area.

"Don't worry if it takes you a while to find stuff. I've been working here for almost a year and I still have to ask Scott where things are, occasionally," Mason said with a slight chuckle. Liam was glad he said that. He was already lost as to where everything was.

After the tour, Mason showed him how to take orders on the computer and how to actually make the orders. There was still much he had to learn, but at least know he knew the basics.

"What time are you off?" Mason asked.

"Umm, 8:00, I think," Liam responded.

"Oh okay, cool. We close at 11:00, so that's the latest you'd have to work. I'm closing tonight, so I'll be here for the rest of the night," Mason said.

"Sounds like fun," Liam said.

"Oh, extremely," Mason said sarcastically. Both boys turned when they heard the door chime.

"Looks like we've got a customer. Want to try and take their order?"

"Sure, I guess," Liam said.

Liam followed Mason up to the front of the store, where the cash registers were located.

"Oh no, it's him again," Mason turned and whispered to Liam.

"Who?" Liam asked.

"It's this homeless guy that comes in almost every day. Well, I say he's homeless, but honestly, Scott doesn't think he actually is. Scott says he could just be pretending to be homeless just to get free handouts," Mason said.

"That's messed up. But, what if he is actually homeless? Shouldn't we help him in the chance that he is?"

"Scott doesn't want to take that chance. He could get in trouble with the owner of the store if he gave away food for free, and no one wants to get in trouble with Peter. Scott will usually let this guy sit inside the store for a little while though, especially if it's really cold or really hot out. Malia doesn't let him stick around though."

"Malia?" Liam questioned.

"Oh yeah, Malia is the owner's daughter. She's a shift manager here, too. She has quite a temper, so try not to do anything to upset her if you work with her. She can't stand the homeless guy, she yells at him to get out if he so much as steps one foot into the store. I don't think she needs to kick him out. Usually he doesn't cause any problems. Sometimes he will order something cheap, but not very often. I guess we should see what he wants," Mason said.

Liam walked up to the counter and tried to remember what he was supposed to say to customers.

"Hi!" Liam said. The supposed homeless guy turner towards him. Liam got his first good look at the stranger. He was surprisingly good looking for a homeless guy. Now Liam knew why Scott was doubtful of him. He had a little bit of scruff, and his hair was relatively long, but besides that, he looked normal. Actually, he looked better than normal. Liam found himself questioning his sexuality for a brief second. He had gorgeous hazel eyes, which stood out from the intense dark circles underneath them. When he turned towards Liam, he smiled slightly, and Liam was stunned. He looked like he might have been athletic at one point in time with well-defined muscles. However, he was too skinny to look very intimidating. He wore a thin gray hoodie and some old-looking blue jeans.

"Umm, welcome to Beacon Hills' Burgers. How may I help you?"

"Can I just get a single cheeseburger off the dollar menu with everything on it, and some water," the stranger said while digging through his pockets. He finally pulled out a small handful of change.

"Okay, that'll be $1.07 with tax," Liam said. He watched as the stranger counted out his change. He handed Liam $1.07 in change, but still had some remaining in his hand. A hopeful look appeared on his face.

"How much is a small thing of fries?" he asked.

"That would add another $1.07," Liam said.

"Oh. Well, never mind," the stranger said, the hopeful look disappearing from his face. He put the last of his change back in his pocket, clearly not having enough to pay for an order of fries. Liam handed him his cup for water and the stranger thanked him before finding a seat. Liam went back into the kitchen to work on his order. As he was making his burger, Liam thought back to the mysterious stranger. He felt bad that he could only afford the burger. He was clearly hungry. Liam looked around him. Scott and Mason were nowhere to be seen. Making up his mind on what to do, Liam threw a bag of fries into the fryer. Once the fries and burger were finished, he took the order out to the stranger.

"I made an extra bag of fries by mistake. Do you want them?" Liam asked. The boy was staring—practically drooling—at the fries.

"Are you sure it's okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, absolutely. I could just throw them in the trash if you don't want them," Liam responded.

"No! I'll take them. Thanks," the stranger said as he took the tray of food out of Liam's hands.

"No problem," Liam said as he turned to leave.

"Wait," the boy said. "What's your name, I haven't seen you here before, and you don't have a nametag."

"Oh yeah, I just started today, so they haven't gotten a name tag for me yet. I'm Liam. What about you?"

"It's Theo."

Liam was going to try to get to know the stranger better, but Scott interrupted.

"Hey, Liam, come back here, I need to talk to you," Scott said.

"Sorry, got to go, enjoy your meal," Liam said before walking back into the kitchen to find his boss.

"What is it?" Liam asked.

"Did he order those fries?" Scott asked.

"Yeah, of course."

"Liam, don't lie to me. He never gets more than one thing."

"Okay. I made an order of fries by mistake, but I didn't want to tell you that I messed up in case you got mad at me, so I just gave them to him to try to hide my mistake. I'm sorry," Liam said. What he did not say was that he knew exactly what he was doing when he made the extra fries. He hoped that Scott would believe his lie.

"I understand. Don't worry, I'm not mad at you. It's your first day, everyone makes mistakes. Thanks for telling me the truth," Scott said. Liam let out a sigh of relief.

"You should probably find Mason and help him out with whatever he's working on. Dinner rush should be starting soon, so be prepared for a lot of orders," Scott said. Liam followed his instructions and found Mason already working on a few orders. Scott was right, they got a rush of orders because of it being around dinnertime. Scott took most of the orders while Liam and Mason made the food. Liam did not get a chance to catch his breath for at least an hour. Once it finally quieted down, Mason and Liam went out to start cleaning tables. Liam found the table that Theo was sitting at. He had left a small collection of coins as a tip. Liam guessed that it was all the remaining change that Theo had left in his pocket. Liam felt bad that Theo gave him the rest of his money. However, he pocketed the change, hoping that he would be able to give it back to him sometime soon. Not long after cleaning all of the tables, Liam's shift ended. He clocked out and said goodbye to Mason and Scott. For the rest of the day, he could not get his mind off of Theo. He had so many questions. Was he actually homeless? If he was, why was he homeless? Why was he so attractive? Where did he sleep at night? Were the burger and fries the only food he ate today? Liam feel a strong urge to help him if he could. He just did not know how.


	2. Chapter 2

Liam went to work the next day at 4:00. He was scheduled to be there until closing at 11:00. He hoped that Mason or someone else would train him how to close, because he had no idea what it involved. He walked in the door, greeted Scott, and clocked in.

"Hey, Liam. So, you'll be closing tonight, but don't worry, Corey is going to be closing with you, so he can show you what to do and help you get everything done," Scott said.

"Corey?" Liam asked.

"Yeah, he's worked here for like six months. I think he's around here somewhere, but I can never find him. It's like he's invisible or something," Scott said while glancing around the store.

"Hey, Corey, where are you at?" Scott called. There were no customers in the store yet, so he could shout.

"I'm right here. What do you need, Scott?" Corey said from behind Scott. Liam tried to control his laughter as Scott practically jumped out of his skin.

"There you are. I just wanted you to meet Liam, he will be closing with you tonight," Scott said.

"Hi," Liam said and waved awkwardly.

"Okay," Corey said and just walked off.

"So, Liam, I never got a chance to ask you. How was your first day yesterday? Sorry I was so busy that I couldn't really talk to you," Scott said.

"It was good. I was wondering, what do you know about that Theo guy? Mason told me that you don't think he is actually homeless and that he just comes in looking for free food. Why do you think that?" Liam asked.

"Right, he was here yesterday, wasn't he? Yeah, I just don't really trust the guy. I've seen him driving a truck around town, so he had to have gotten it somewhere. It's not an old, beat-up truck either, it's a nice new one. How do you explain that if you're homeless? You can think what you like about him, I just don't trust him," Scott said.

Liam did not say anything else, he just nodded in contemplation. Liam thought it seemed weird that Theo had a truck. He had not seen him driving in it like Scott had. However, he had only met Theo the previous day. Even though he did not know Theo very well, Liam had an intense desire to get to know him better.

For almost the entire shift, Liam could not stop thinking about Theo. Scott or Corey tried to talk to him on multiple occasions and he did not notice them because he was zoned out thinking about the mysterious guy. He kept secretly wishing that Theo would show up. If he did show up, he would at least save Liam from the brain-numbing boredom he was experiencing from it being an extremely slow night.

Liam was trying to pass the time by sweeping the kitchen—even though he already swept it once before during the shift—when he heard the door chime. He was about to leave to see who it was, but Scott went up and beat him to it. Liam heard a quiet voice, but he could not understand what it was saying. He was able to hear Scott's reply, however.

"You want to speak to Liam? Okay, I'll get him," Scott said before walking up to Liam who was trying to pretend that he was not just eavesdropping on Scott's conversation.

"Hey, your friend Theo wants to talk to you," Scott said.

"What? Theo?" Liam said, trying not to sound as excited as he felt. Without thinking, he dropped the broom he was holding and it loudly clattered on the tile floor. Liam scrambled to pick it up and put it away in its proper place. "So much for not acting excited," Liam thought as he walked up to the counter.

"Hey, Scott said you wanted to talk to me," Liam said to Theo.

"Yeah, I wanted to thank you again for yesterday. I wish I could have talked to you more, but I understand that you were busy. You're probably still busy today, I should go. Thanks again," Theo said, before starting to turn around.

"Wait, umm, I'm actually not busy at all right now, you can stay if you want," Liam said.

"Okay," Theo said, turning back towards Liam with a smile. Liam smiled back and opened his mouth to talk, when the phone rang.

"Ugh," Liam groaned. "One second."

Liam picked up the phone.

"Hi, thank you for calling Beacon Hills' Burgers, this is Liam, how may I help you?" Liam said in the most cheerful voice he could muster. Liam thought he must look pretty silly to Theo because his voice was friendly but his face was angry.

"Hey, Liam, it's me, your mom. I didn't know if you would have your cellphone on you, so I called the store instead. I'm glad I reached you," the woman on the phone said.

"Hi mom. What's up?"

"I just wanted to tell you that I can't pick you up from work tonight. I'm sorry. Your stepdad got called in to work the late shift at the hospital, so he has the car. Do you think one of your coworkers can give you a ride home?"

"Oh. Yeah, it should be fine. I'll find a ride. Thanks for telling me."

"I'm sorry, Liam, I really wish I could pick you up."

"No, it's okay. Bye mom, love you," Liam said, before hanging up the phone.

"What was that about?" Theo asked.

"It was my mom. She said that she won't be able to pick me up from work tonight," Liam said.

"Your mom still picks you up?" Theo said with a chuckle.

"Shut up. I know how to drive, I just don't have a car."

"What time do you get off work? I can give you a ride, if you want. I actually have a truck."

"Really? You would give me a ride home? I get off kinda late."

"Yeah, it's the least I could do. I don't mind, I'm a night owl anyway. What time should I pick you up?" Theo asked.

"I get off at 11:00," Liam said.

"Okay, see you then," Theo said, smiling.

"Yeah, looking forward to it," Liam said. Theo smiled wider and walked out of the restaurant. It was only after he left that Liam thought about what he said.

"Looking forward to it? What were you thinking, Liam? You made it sound like it was a freaking date," Liam said quietly to himself. However, he was not quiet enough.

"You're going on a date? Is it with Theo? I bet it's with Theo. Mason was right, you two would be a cute couple," Corey said, suddenly standing right next to Liam.

"Gahh, where'd you come from?" Liam said, jumping two feet to the side. "And no, I am not going on a date with Theo. He's just going to give me a ride home from work. Also, since when did Mason say we would be a cute couple. Does he really think so? Never mind, don't answer that question."

Corey laughed. "Well, if you want to get to your date on time, we should probably get to work."

"I told you, it's not a date!"

Liam and Corey started working on everything they needed to do for the closing shift. There was a lot they had to do. Liam did not think he would be able to remember everything. The only positive aspect of all the work it took to close up the store, was that it made time go by faster. Liam did not like to admit it, but he was looking forward to seeing Theo again. He kept checking the clock, waiting for it to say 11:00.

By the time 10:30 rolled around, Liam was almost done with the seemingly endless tasks he had to do. He and Corey were just getting ready to turn off the fryer and griddle.

"Wait, before we turn it off, can I order some food to take home? I'm starving," Liam asked Corey.

"Yeah, go ahead," Corey replied.

"Thanks," Liam said and went over to a computer to put in his order.

"Dude, you're getting two burgers?" Corey said from behind Liam.

"Shut up."

Liam made his two burgers and two orders of fries and threw them in a bag before quickly finishing up the last few tasks.

"Do you need anything else? Can I go now?" Liam asked Corey impatiently.

"Yeah, go ahead. Have fun on your date," Corey said, winking at Liam.

"For the last time, it's not a date. Whatever. I'm leaving, bye," Liam said. He grabbed his bag of food and walked out the door. Being almost midnight, it was pitch black out. The air was chilly and Liam shivered. He heard a car honk. He turned towards the noise and saw Theo waving at him from the driver's seat of a blue pickup truck. Liam jogged over and got in the passenger's seat. Liam looked around the inside of the truck. The front was extremely tidy, so Liam was surprised to see the backseat. In the back, there was an old blanket and pillow laid out like the seat was a bed. On the floor were two piles of clothes, one pile looked all wrinkled and dirty and the other pile had clean, folded clothes in it.

"Sorry about the mess," Theo said. Liam saw that he had his head down and looked embarrassed.

"It's okay. Hey, I thought you might be hungry, so I got us food," Liam said excitedly. "I know I'm starving, anyway." Liam pulled out the burgers and fries from the paper bag they were in and handed a burger and fries to Theo. Before Theo had a chance to react, Liam was already stuffing his face with food. Liam paused when he noticed Theo had not touched his food, he only stared at it with his mouth slightly ajar.

"You don't want it?" Liam asked.

"It's not that, I just—I don't know. Why are you doing this?"

"Doing what?"

"Helping me. Buying me food."

"Because you look like you need it, and because I want to."

"I don't deserve it."

"Everyone deserves to eat. Now come on, don't let your food get cold," Liam said and continued to scarf down all of his food.

"Thanks," Theo said before chowing down, as well.

They finished their food in silence. Liam took their trash and ran to the trashcan outside of the restaurant to throw it away. He jumped back in the truck with a sigh of contentment.

"So, where to?" Theo said.

"Oh right, I almost forgot you were going to give me a ride home. Umm, turn right after you get out of the parking lot. I don't live too far away, luckily."

Liam continued to direct Theo until he pulled up in front of his house.

"Thanks! I'll see you later," Liam said.

"Yeah, I'm looking forward to it," Theo said and smiled. Liam ran inside as Theo drove off. Liam had a hard time falling asleep that night. He wondered when he would see Theo again. He hoped it would be soon.


	3. Chapter 3

Liam slept in the next day. It was summer, after all, and it was a Saturday. After reluctantly getting out of bed, Liam went downstairs to the kitchen. His mom was in the dining room, drinking tea and skimming though a magazine at the table.

"Morning, Mom," Liam said when he saw her.

"Good morning, Liam, or should I say good afternoon?"

"I didn't sleep in that late."

"You might want to see if your clocks are working then."

Liam checked his phone and, sure enough, it was already past noon.

"Holy crap!"

"Couldn't sleep?"

"I guess I just had a lot on my mind." Liam figured his mom would not really understand that he could not sleep because he was thinking about a homeless guy he just met for most of the night.

"I'm sorry I didn't get to talk to you at all last night. How was work?" Liam's mom asked.

"It was good. Nothing too exciting."

"I almost forgot, who gave you a ride home yesterday? I wanted to come out and thank them or give them a little cash or something but I fell asleep."

"A friend gave me a ride. And don't worry about it, I bought him some food to thank him."

"I hate to ask, but do you think he could give you more rides in the future? It looks like your stepdad will be working the late shift more regularly now. Otherwise, we could try to get a car for you, but I don't know—"

"it's fine, mom. I can ask him. Don't worry about it," Liam said, cutting his mom off.

"Thank you. You don't work today, do you?"

"Nope."

"That's nice," Liam's mom said.

"Yeah," Liam said. Part of him was excited to get a day off after working so late the night before, but another part of him was sad that he would not get to see Theo today. He wished he could text Theo and see if he wanted to hang out. However, Liam did not even know if he had a cellphone. He made a mental note to ask him about it next time Liam saw him.

Even after only two days in a row of working, Liam had already fallen into a routine. He felt like he did not know what to do with himself now that he had a day off. He tried to think back on the previous summer to think of ideas to occupy himself with. As he went about his day, it just felt boring. It was an endless cycle. Play video games, think about Theo, watch a movie, think about Theo, take a shower, try not to think about Theo, eat dinner with his family, try really hard not to think about Theo. When the day was over, Liam was impatient for tomorrow to arrive so that he could go to work and hopefully see Theo again.

* * *

Liam awoke the next day in an excited mood. He did not hit snooze when his alarm went off. Instead, he practically jumped out of bed. He felt that he should not be as excited as he was to go to work. Most people would think he was crazy for looking forward to it. He was scheduled to work from 3:00 to 8:00 PM, so Liam did not have to close. He hoped that Theo would show up during that five-hour window. Liam remembered how his mom had asked Liam to see if Theo would be willing to give him more rides home. Liam hoped Theo would agree. Liam could always bribe him with food if he needed to.

 _What am I thinking?_ Liam thought. _I can't just bribe Theo with food. That's cruel. I am a horrible person._

Liam hoped Theo would not need to be bribed. Liam's mom had said that she was hoping to give Theo a little cash for helping out. Theo certainly seemed to need the money. However, Liam thought back to what Scott said. He did wonder how Theo could afford a nice truck and still be homeless. Liam still wanted to give Theo the benefit of the doubt. There was probably a perfectly good, legal explanation for Theo's truck. Liam just did not know what that explanation was, yet.

Liam cleared his mind of those thoughts and continued on with his day. It was only a few short hours until work. Liam was almost giddy.

* * *

Liam got to work early.

"Hey, Liam," Mason greeted him when he came in. "Heard about your date with Theo, how'd it go?"

"Oh my gosh, it was not a date! Whatever Corey told you was a lie. He just gave me a ride home."

"So, the part about you dropping a broom because you were so excited to see Theo was a lie, too?"

Liam opened his mouth to protest, but stopped himself when he realized Mason was right.

'Well. . ." Liam said. Mason just burst out laughing.

"You're so red right now. I knew it, I just knew it. Anyways, don't feel too bad about your little crush on Theo. He came in yesterday asking for you. You should have seen the look on his face when I told him you weren't here. I almost thought he was gonna cry."

"Wait, Theo was here yesterday? Looking for me?" Liam asked, face lighting up temporarily. It took him a moment to register the first part of Mason's speech. "I do not have a crush on him!"

Mason hugged his chest in laughter. Liam decided he was never talking to Mason again as he stormed off to find work to do.

The night went by too fast. By the time Liam got a chance to relax, it was already half past 7:00. Still no sign of Theo. Liam was counting on Theo showing up so he could ask for a ride home. Liam had already resigned himself to the fact that he would be walking home when the door chimed and Theo walked in. Liam saw Theo glance around before meeting Liam's eyes. He slowly walked up to the counter and stood across from Liam.

"Hey, Liam," Theo said, half of his mouth lifting into a smile.

"Hey," Liam said. "By the way, my mom said thank you for giving me a ride home the other night. She was hoping to give you some money or something for the help. She was wondering if you'd be willing to drive me home more often? Like, for example, tonight? Also, do you have a phone? Can I have your phone number? Just for like rides and stuff."

Theo struggled to absorb Liam's ramblings.

"Yeah, it was no problem. I can do that, it's not like I have anything better to do. What time do you get off work? Also, I do not have a phone."

"Please, I know you don't have to, but I really need a ride," Liam said.

"Liam, I already said I would, what are you talking about?"

"Oh, you did? I was 95% sure you were going to say no. Great! I get off at 8:00."

Theo looked at a clock on the wall behind Liam.

"Okay, I guess I'll just stick around here then."

Not a minute past 8:00, Liam clocked out and was ready to leave. True to his word, Theo had hung out in the store while waiting for Liam to get done. He stood up from his table and they both went out to the parking lot and got in Theo's truck. It was silent for the first half of the ride. Liam could not think of anything to talk about. He just tried to focus on the music playing through the radio quietly. There was one question that Liam wanted to ask Theo, but he knew it would be rude of him. However, he could not contain his curiosity.

"Theo, where'd you get this truck? How'd you afford it? It's super nice."

"Thanks, but that is none of your business."

"You can tell me, it's not that big of a deal, right? It's not like you stole it or anything," Liam said and laughed. He stopped when Theo gave him a death glare.

"I said, it's none of your business, so drop it."

Liam nodded awkwardly. He did not realize Theo could be this intimidating. The rest of the way to Liam's house continued in complete silence.

When they arrived, Liam's mom was waiting outside. She walked up to the truck when Theo parked and gestured for him to roll a window down.

"Thank you so much for giving Liam a ride home these past couple days. I can't thank you enough. I'm sorry, but I don't even know your name," she said when Theo rolled the window down.

"Theo," he said, "And it's really no problem. I'm happy to help. Liam bought me food the other day anyways."

"And he didn't tonight?" Liam's mom said, giving an angry look to Liam.

"No," Liam said sheepishly.

"Well, we can't have that. I've just finished cooking a late dinner for Liam and me, but I always make too much. How about you join us?"

"No, I couldn't—"

"I insist," Liam's mom said forcefully.

"She's not going to give up until you agree," Liam added.

"That's right. I'm sure you've noticed how stubborn Liam is, well he gets that from me. So, get out of the car."

Liam saw Theo slowly open the driver-side door and get out of the truck. Liam turned around and went inside, his mom and Theo close behind him. He could already smell the food that his mom had made. He saw a steaming pan of chicken and another pan of mixed vegetables sitting on the kitchen counter.

"Liam, go get cleaned up and change out of your work uniform. I can practically feel the grease coming off it in waves," Liam's mom said.

"Okay," Liam replied and went upstairs to his room. He changed into a normal pair of jeans and a t-shirt before going into the bathroom to wash up. Liam stared at the mirror for a few minutes, trying to fix his hair. Wearing a hat for over five hours had its consequences. He questioned why he even cared about how he looked, it was just dinner. Dinner with Theo, a part of his mind reminded him. Liam realized this would be the first time Theo would see him without his work uniform. Why did he even care? Liam sighed.

After what felt like an hour, Liam went back downstairs to the dining room where his mom and Theo were chatting at the dinner table. Liam sat down with them and they all filled their plates with food. Liam was watching Theo intensely. It saddened him how fast he devoured his food as if he had not eaten for days. Liam hoped that was not the case. Theo had already finished one plate of food before Liam was half done with his. His mom immediately offered him seconds which he devoured as fast as his first plate.

"Do you want any more, Theo?" Liam's mom asked.

"No, I'm good. Thank you though. It was delicious. I should probably get going."

"Of course, sorry for keeping you so long. Your family must be worried," Mrs. Geyer said.

"Yeah, I'm sure," Theo said. Liam could pick up a hint of sadness in his voice. Liam followed Theo as he exited the Geyer household. Liam was surprised by how dark it was outside, since they had just eaten dinner. However, they ate when Liam got home from work and that was after 8:00 PM.

"Thanks again for giving me a ride," Liam said.

"No problem. Any other days you need a ride?"

"Yes, actually. Do you think you could give me a ride to work tomorrow? Both of my parents work that day, so there will not be anyone home to give me a ride," Liam asked. Normally, his parents tried to alternate their schedules so at least one of them could be home most of the time, but Liam's stepdad had an emergency surgery to attend to at the hospital the next day.

"Yeah, sure. What time?"

"I work from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM, so you should probably get here at around 10:30. If you want, you could get here earlier and I can make you breakfast," Liam said.

"That sounds nice. So, like 10:00 then?"

"Sure, it's a date," Liam said. He heard Theo chuckle slightly before he caught what he said.

"I—Umm—It's not a date! I just—Umm—I didn't mean to say that. It's a plan—Not a date. Definitely not," Liam said. Corey was getting into his head.

"See you tomorrow," Theo said, smiling genuinely. Liam nodded. He waited to go inside until Theo had gotten in his truck and driven off. He was more excited than he would like to admit for tomorrow.


	4. Chapter 4

Liam's alarm went off at 9:00 AM. He groped around for the snooze button and tried to sleep for a few more precious minutes. When his alarm went off again, he opened his eyes and immediately grimaced at the bright light coming from his window. His head did not feel right. Liam was sweating, but he was freezing at the same time.

 _Oh no,_ Liam thought. _I think I'm sick. Better call Scott._

Liam pushed himself up into a sitting position and immediately regretted it. His head was throbbing. He stood up and tried not to fall over as a wave of dizziness hit him. Liam made his way over to his phone which was sitting on his desk and dialed Scott's number. It only took a couple rings for him to pick up.

"Hey, Liam. What's up?"

"I'm sorry, but I'm not gonna make it to work today," Liam said, words slightly slurred.

"Are you alright? You don't sound very good."

"I think I have a fever."

"Okay, you definitely can't come in to work then, that would be a complete violation of health code."

"Sorry."

"Don't worry about it. I'll find someone else to come in today. Just rest, okay?"

"'Kay," Liam said.

"Hope you feel better. I have to go. Bye."

"Thanks," Liam said right before Scott hung up the phone.

Liam dropped his phone back on his desk and walked—very much like a zombie—back to his bed and plopped down on his chest. He got the sudden feeling that he forgot something. The feeling did not last long, as Liam fell back to sleep almost instantly.

He awoke to another alarm going off. He smashed his hand against his alarm's snooze, only to find that the sound did not stop. It took his groggy brain a minute to realize that the sound was actually a car alarm coming from outside. Liam rushed to get up, but his feet got tangled in his sheets and he fell, face-first, on his bedroom floor. Liam groaned loudly. Fighting off the dizzy spell, he angrily got up and stomped downstairs. He was going to find whoever was responsible for waking him up and punch them in the face at least three times.

Liam yanked open the front door and saw Theo standing on the doorstep. He stood there glaring for a few seconds, allowing Theo to turn off his car alarm.

"Rise and shine, sleeping beauty. You have to get ready—"

He was cut off by Liam punching him square in the nose.

"What the hell?" Theo yelled, holding his nose as blood started dripping from it. Liam continued standing in his doorway with arms crossed. The throbbing headache he had before returned and his entire body ached.

"You woke me up," Liam said. Theo started laughing out loud.

"That explains why you look so ridiculous. Your hair! Did you wrestle a bear in your sleep?" he said, and continued laughing.

"You're an asshole," Liam slurred out before slamming the door in Theo's face. He stomped back upstairs and reunited with his bed. He did not have time to fall asleep before there was a light knock on his bedroom door.

 _Crap, I didn't lock the front door._

"What?" Liam shouted angrily, his voice slightly muffled by his pillow.

"Don't you have to be at work in less than an hour? Shouldn't you be getting ready?" Theo said from outside Liam's room.

"I'm not going. I don't feel good. Go away," Liam shouted. Instead of going away, Liam heard his bedroom door open slowly, and Theo walked in. Liam could see Theo standing by his bed in the corner of his eye. He was blocking the light from Liam's window, which Liam's head was thankful for.

"Hey, look at me," Theo said softly. Liam groaned, but turned on his side anyway. He squinted up at Theo. In his groggy state and with the light surrounding Theo, Liam thought Theo looked angelic. Liam felt a slight pressure on his head.

"You do feel pretty hot. You probably have a fever," Theo said.

"You think?" Liam said sarcastically. How he remained so sarcastic even when his brain felt like mush, Liam had no idea. Suddenly, the pressure was removed from his forehead and Theo disappeared. Liam winced at the return of the sunlight. He rolled back onto his stomach and drifted off again.

What felt like only a second later, Liam woke up to someone massaging his shoulder and quietly calling his name. Liam rolled over and slowly opened his eyes. It was much darker in his room than he remembered it being. Theo must have closed the curtains for him.

"Can you sit up?" Theo asked.

"Yeah, gimme a sec," Liam said. With his body feeling so achy, it was difficult, but Liam managed to sit up and lean against the headboard of his bed. A glass of water and some pills were shoved into his hands.

"Here, take these, it should get rid of your fever, or at least help with it."

If Liam was thinking, he would not have taken the random pills given to him by a guy he hardly knew, but Liam was not thinking, his head was too foggy. He popped the pills in his mouth and gulped down the entire glass of water. He could not remember water ever tasting that good. He did not realize until that moment how thirsty he was. As if Theo was reading his mind, he got Liam another glass of water immediately.

"Thanks," Liam said.

"You're welcome. You should try to get some more sleep. The medicine shouldn't take too long to kick in, so hopefully you'll wake up feeling better."

"'Kay," Liam said drowsily before slumping back down and falling asleep yet again.

When Liam woke up for the hundredth time that day, he felt much less feverish. His head actually felt clear instead of foggy. Liam was happy to be able to think properly again. He got up and stretched. He did not feel as achy either, just stiff from sleeping so much. Liam wondered if Theo was still here or if he had left while Liam was sleeping. Liam hoped he stayed.

When he went downstairs, he got his answer. Theo was laying on the couch in the living room, fast asleep. The position he was in did not look very comfy, in Liam's opinion. He was on his back with his head on the armrest of the couch, putting his neck in an awkward angle. His arms were crossed over his chest and his feet were crossed on top of the opposite arm rest. He was taller than the couch was long, so his feet stuck out over the end of it. Seeing Theo sleeping made Liam smile. He looked so peaceful. Liam went to go turn around and go back to his room, but as soon as he took a step, the floor creaked loudly. Liam heard Theo groan and turned back around. He saw Theo rub his eyes with his hand before holding it up in the air.

"Yeah, okay, I'm up, I'll move," Theo said.

"What are you talking about? You don't have to get up. Sorry I woke you," Liam said.

"Oh, sorry," Theo said, "I thought I was somewhere else for a second. How are you feeling?"

"Better."

"Good," Theo said before getting up from the couch. He walked from the living room to the kitchen and started opening random cabinets.

"What are you doing?" Liam asked.

"You'll see."

"Okay, whatever. I need to take a shower, I feel disgusting," Liam said.

When Liam got out of the shower, he smelled food. His stomach then realized how hungry it was and let out a wolfish growl. He went downstairs and saw that Theo was making food in his kitchen. There were a few plates on the counter as well as a bag of bread and some butter.

"Are you making toast?" Liam asked.

"Not just any toast, cinnamon toast," Theo said excitedly.

"Why?"

"Well for one, it's the only breakfast food I know how to make. And two, my mom used to make it for me whenever I was sick. The cinnamon really clears your sinuses."

"Good to know," Liam said sarcastically. He was not too thrilled about the mental image that popped into his head when Theo talked about clearing sinuses. He just got his appetite back, he did not want it ruined again.

"You know, I was supposed to make _you_ breakfast, not the other way around," Liam said.

"You're sick. Don't complain, just eat," Theo said. Liam went and sat down at the table as Theo finished making toast. Two pieces of cinnamon toast were set in front of Liam. While he was skeptical at first, Liam had to admit that it did look tasty.

"Thanks," Liam said. It did not take him long to devour his food. It was delicious. He felt bad that Theo had to make him breakfast, but it looked like he enjoyed himself.

"By the way, sorry for punching you in the face, and calling you an asshole," Liam said. He could see a bruise forming on Theo's nose from when he had punched him earlier. He was too out of it to feel bad about it before, but now he regretted it.

"If my nose is broken, you're paying for my medical bills," Theo said.

"Oh, come on. I didn't punch you that hard," Liam protested.

"Are you kidding? It still hurts. I'm in agony," Theo said dramatically.

"Would punching you again make it feel any better?" Liam said, holding up a fist threateningly.

Liam could see Theo struggling to keep a straight face. However, he failed, and instantly burst out laughing. Liam started laughing as well. It had been a truly strange day. They laughed until they forgot what they were laughing about. Liam had to wipe a few tears from his eyes when it was all over.

"Hey, can I ask you for a favor?" Theo asked.

"Yeah, what is it?"

"Would you mind if I used your shower?"

"Yeah, sure. The bathroom's upstairs."

"Thanks," Theo said. Liam stayed at the table as he put the dirty dishes in the sink and jogged up the stairs. Liam slowly got up, still feeling a little dizzy. He walked upstairs to his room. The bathroom was right next door. He could hear the soft sound of running water through the door. Although the temptation to go back to bed again was strong, Liam decided to stay up. He sat at his desk and opened his laptop. He browsed the internet without any real plan in mind, simply trying to pass the time. Before long, he heard the shower turn off and the water stopped running. The bathroom door squeaked open. Liam was just blankly staring at his computer screen when Theo walked up to his open bedroom door.

"Ah, that felt good. I had to borrow a towel, I hope that's okay. I didn't think to grab some clean clothes from my car before getting in the shower," Theo said.

Liam nodded mindlessly. "Yeah, that's fine," he said. He did not put together what Theo said in his mind right away. It was only when he glanced up at Theo and saw that he did borrow a towel. In fact, it was the only thing he was wearing. Liam immediately looked away and blushed. It was not every day that a good looking, half-naked guy stood in his doorway.

"Is your fever back? You look really red," Theo said with a worried look.

"I'm fine," Liam practically squeaked out.

"You sure?"

Liam became even more flustered when Theo walked up to him—still only wearing a towel around his waist—and pressed his hand on Liam's forehead. Liam's eyelevel was at Theo's bare chest. He wondered if he did still have a fever. Maybe this was just some fever-induced hallucination.

"You don't feel very hot, luckily. Must just be my imagination. I should go get some clothes," Theo said, before disappearing. Liam was left to sit in shock.

 _What just happened?_ he questioned wordlessly.

Theo returned a few minutes later fully clothed.

"Thanks again. I should probably get going. When are you supposed to work next? Will you need a ride?"

"I work tomorrow, if this fever stays away. But, I actually don't need a ride. Thanks for offering though," Liam said.

"Yeah, no problem. See you later then, I guess."

"Yeah." Liam wanted Theo to stay. He got the urge to call out to him and ask him to stay, but Theo was already gone. He sat in silence for a few minutes. His parents would not be home for a couple more hours. He decided to crawl back in bed and sleep through the rest of his fever. He wanted to be able to go to work tomorrow. Work always came with the possibility of Theo showing up. Liam did not want to miss it for the world.


	5. Chapter 5

"See you later, mom," Liam said as he hopped out of her car.

"Have a good day at work," she said.

"Thanks." Liam knew it would be a good day, he could feel it. His fever was completely gone, and he felt great. He was excited by the possibility of Theo showing up. At this point, it was pretty much guaranteed.

There was a familiar jingle as Liam walked into the restaurant. Scott waved at him from the counter.

"Feeling better?" he asked.

"Much," Liam said.

"That's good. I wish I could chat with you some more, but I have to get this paperwork done before I go."

"You're not the manager tonight?"

"No, I get off at 5:00. Malia should be here pretty soon. She's the manager tonight. Have you worked with her before?"

"No." Liam had not worked with her before, but he has heard of her before. Mason told him about her on his first day. She was the one that hated Theo, if he was remembering correctly. Mason said that she always kicked him out.

"What's that face for? I promise she won't bite. I'm sure you'll like her," Scott said reassuringly.

Liam tried to smile convincingly. He hoped that maybe Malia had changed her mind about Theo since Mason told him about her. He did wonder what caused her to hate Theo in the first place.

"Oh, I did want to ask you something before I forget," Scott said. He stopped smiling and his face turned serious. "Is it true that you're dating Theo?"

Liam did a double-take. "What? Where'd you hear that? I am not dating him! Why does everyone keep assuming that I am?"

"Oh, okay. Sorry. Corey and Mason both told me that you were," Scott said. Liam tried not to focus on how relieved he looked to know that Liam was not dating Theo.

"Of course they said that. I am going to kill them."

Scott laughed at how angry Liam was getting over this. "Oh, well it looks like Malia is here. I'll see you later, Liam. Glad you're feeling better," Scott said. Scott left, and a young woman walked in. Liam thought she looked friendly, but he still wanted to remain cautious of her because of what Mason told him. He had also told Liam that she was the owner's daughter. Liam figured he should stay on her good side if he wanted to keep his job. Liam smiled at her when she walked closer.

"Hey, I haven't met you yet. I'm Malia. Who are you?" she asked bluntly.

"Liam. I'm pretty new here."

"I can tell," Malia said. "Sorry, no offense. that came out wrong."

"None taken," Liam said politely.

Malia smiled at Liam and went back to the manager's office. Liam stood alone at the front counter. It was a Tuesday, the least busiest day of the week. He was the only one working because Tuesdays had a habit of being completely dead. Liam grabbed a sanitizer rag and wiped down pretty much every possible surface in the store. He checked the time and it had been less than an hour since he started working. He took off his hat, ran his hand through his hair, and sighed. It was going to be a long day if he did not find something to do soon.

Out of boredom, Liam found his mind wandering. He wondered why literally everyone thought he was dating Theo. He only met him about a week ago. Now that he thought about, he did become rather close to Theo surprisingly quickly. He felt drawn to him for some reason. It could be the fact that Theo was so mysterious, or maybe it was because Liam had actually started to grow fond of the other boy. Liam did not know what to think. He knew he trusted Theo when most everyone else did not, that was for sure. He considered him a friend, too. Pretty much everyone who knew Theo made it seem like it was a bad idea to even talk to Theo, let alone befriend him. Mason and Corey seemed to tolerate him, but Scott and Malia would become upset if someone so much as mentioned Theo. Maybe they were right. Maybe Liam should not trust Theo as much as he did.

Speak—or more accurately, think—of the devil. Liam looked up to see Theo entering Beacon Hills' Burgers. Liam had been leaning heavily on the counter, but at the sight of Theo he stood up and straightened his posture. He felt bad to see that Theo's nose was still a little bruised from when he had punched him the day before.

"Hey," Liam said.

"Hey," Theo said back, smiling radiantly. "How are you feeling?"

"Much better. Although, I may still die of boredom," Liam said.

"That's good. Maybe I can help with that," Theo said, leaning on the counter and looking up slightly at Liam.

Liam smiled. "I would like that. I don't know if you should stay long though."

Theo frowned. "Why?"

Just as he said that, Malia's voice was heard from the other end of the kitchen.

"I know that's you, Theo. Get out right now!" She stomped up to the front counter where Liam and Theo were standing. "I said, get out! Don't you remember me telling you to never come back here? I'll call the police."

"But—" Liam began.

"Shut up!" She yelled at Liam. Liam flinched at the unexpected reprimand.

"Hey, don't take your anger out on him, I'll leave," Theo said, holding up his hands in surrender.

"Then what are you waiting for," Malia growled out. It did not take long for Theo to flee the restaurant. Liam was disappointed to see him go. He wanted to stick up for Theo, but Malia instantly shot him down when he tried. Even though Liam could not defend Theo, Theo stood up for Liam. He only left after Malia yelled at Liam. One question was stuck in Liam's mind like glue: _Why?_

The rest of the night remained slow. Liam went through the motions for most of it. His mind was occupied by other thoughts—thoughts of Theo. Maybe he was right to trust him, after all.

When Liam got home that night, he realized that he needed a ride to work the next day. He had not gotten the chance to ask Theo because of Malia kicking him out. _Crap._ He could not call Theo either. While he wanted to figure out a plan, he was tired. Deciding to find a ride tomorrow, Liam went to bed.

* * *

The first thing Liam did the next day was call Mason.

"Do you work tonight?" Liam asked.

"Yeah, why?" Mason said.

"Could you give me a ride to work?"

"Sure, I guess. Why?"

"Well, Theo—I mean—the person that normally gives me a ride isn't available today."

"Right. Okay. I'll see you later then."

"Thanks. See ya," Liam said and hung up the phone.

* * *

A few hours later, Liam was hopping in Mason's car and heading off to work with him.

"Thanks again for giving me a ride."

"No problem. So, Theo usually gives you a ride? How cute," Mason said, grinning at Liam mischievously.

Liam choked on air. "What? No. Where'd you hear that?"

"Dude, you literally said Theo gives you rides on the phone before trying—and failing, might I add—to correct yourself. Don't deny it, I won't believe you."

"Ugh, fine. You're right. He has only given me like two rides though."

"Corey is going to be so excited when I tell him about this," Mason said.

Liam groaned. "Do you have to tell him everything?"

"Yes. By the way, what did you and Theo do together on Monday?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't try to act innocent, you didn't come into work because you were sick," Mason said, heavy on the sarcasm with the last word, "And Theo didn't show up either. I highly doubt that was a coincidence."

"I was actually sick. I don't know why Theo didn't come in," Liam said.

"You are a horrible liar."

"Okay, fine. He hung out at my house for a while. I didn't lie about being sick, though. Theo actually kind of took care of me."

"You two are so cute."

"Shut up," Liam said. If Mason was not currently driving, Liam would have punched him. "Oh, and stop telling everyone we're dating. Scott asked me about it the other day. It's annoying."

Mason just laughed. Liam scowled at him. "Okay, fine. I'll tell Corey to stop telling people that. I was never a part of that."

"Yeah, right! Scott said he heard it from both of you," Liam said accusingly.

Mason sighed. "Fine, I'll stop, too. Won't stop me and Corey from shipping you two, though."

"Whatever," Liam said.

The rest of the ride to work was silent. Luckily, it did not take long for them to arrive. When they arrived, Liam was happy to see that Scott was working tonight instead of Malia. Liam looked forward to talking to Theo since their conversation was cut short the day before. Liam had gotten so used to Theo coming in everyday that he was depressed when Theo never showed up. He felt betrayed. He knew he had no right to feel that way, he did not control Theo's life, after all. However, he still wished Theo would have shown up. He could only look forward to tomorrow and hope to see Theo then.

* * *

Theo did not show up the next day either. Although Liam was sad the day before, he was angry at this point. Liam wanted to call him and find out why he did not show up two days in a row, but, of course, Theo did not have a cellphone. Liam thought he would buy him one himself next time he saw Theo.

* * *

Liam was starting to doubt if he would ever see Theo again. It was late Friday night, three days since Liam had seen Theo. He was closing with both Corey and Mason since Fridays were the busiest day of the week. Liam got excited at every new customer, thinking it was Theo. So many customers came in that day, but no sign of Theo. It was now the time of night when they had gotten all of the closing tasks done, but could not leave yet. The three boys sat at a table talking to pass the time until they could go home. Noticing Liam was moping, Corey decided to test a theory.

"So, Theo hasn't stopped in for a few days. Is that why you're upset, Liam?"

"Of course not. I'm not upset. I don't care," his voice said, but his face showed otherwise.

"Liam, we can tell you're upset. It's okay to admit it," Mason said.

Liam sighed deeply and dropped his head on the table. "I'm very upset. Why hasn't he come back? Was it something I said? Why does he hate me?"

"I'm sure it's not your fault, Liam," Corey said.

"Yeah, I am one hundred percent certain he doesn't hate you," Mason added.

"Have you tried calling or texting him?" Corey asked.

"He doesn't have a phone!" Liam said despairingly.

"Maybe you should try to find him or something. What if something bad happened to him? It's unusual for him to not stop by for so long," Mason said.

Liam started to look panicked at the suggestion that something might have happened to Theo. Corey lightly punched Mason on the shoulder. He got the hint.

"Or maybe he's just visiting family, or traveling, or he got a job or something," Mason said.

"Maybe," Liam said. He still was not convinced. He could not stop worrying about Theo. Mason had suggested Liam go look for Theo. Liam thought he should take that advice. While he wanted to go out and look for him right this minute, it was late. Liam had the day off the next day, so it would be a good day for him to go on a search. Liam knew what Theo's truck looked like, so that would make things easier. However, Beacon Hills was a big city. He hoped he could find Theo.

"If something happens to him, I'm gonna kill him," Liam said, not realizing he said it out loud.

Mason and Corey gave each other a look. They both wished Liam would realize his feelings for Theo.


	6. Chapter 6

Liam did not get any sleep Friday night. Now the Saturday morning sun was shining through his window. He was too worried about Theo. What Mason had said the night before freaked him out more than he wanted to admit. He was determined to get out there and look for Theo all day if he had to. He could be anywhere in the city, so Liam knew it could take a while. He wished he had a bloodhound with him to sniff out Theo's scent. Now that the sun was out, he could begin his search. He got dressed quickly and left his bedroom. Quietly, Liam crept downstairs. He assumed that his parents were still asleep, so he did not want to wake them. Apparently, he assumed wrong.

"What are you doing up so early, Liam?" His stepdad asked. Dr. Geyer was sitting at the dining room table, drinking coffee and reading the newspaper.

"The sun woke me up, and I couldn't fall back asleep, so I thought I would go take a walk," Liam said.

"How about you sit with me for a minute or two? I haven't gotten a chance to talk with you since you started that job."

"Okay," Liam agreed. He wanted to find Theo as soon as possible, but he also did not want to make his stepdad suspicious. Liam sat at the table across from him.

"Speaking of the new job, how are you liking it so far?" Dr. Geyer asked.

"I like it a lot. It's been fun. I like my coworkers." Liam wanted to rephrase that. He liked his coworkers when they were not teasing him about Theo.

"That's good. I know how awful a job can be if you don't like your coworkers."

An awkward silence filled the room. Liam tried to think of a way to continue the conversation.

"How has the hospital been? You've been working a lot of overtime."

Dr. Geyer let out a stressed sigh. "Yeah, it's been a busy couple of weeks. I had to stay late last night because of this kid that was brought into the E.R. The police found this guy—about your age actually— yesterday morning. It took me the entire day just to get him in stable condition. The poor kid was half dead with pneumonia and a high fever. It's good the police found him when they did, I don't want to think about what would have happened if they didn't find him when they did," Dr. Geyer said.

Liam could hear his heart beating in his chest. He knew that his stepdad's patient could be anyone, but he could not help thinking that it could be Theo.

"Do you know the guy's name?" Liam asked.

"No, he was unconscious for most of the day, and when he did wake up, he was too feverish to respond to any questions."

"You said the police found him, right? Do you know where they found him?"

"I overheard an officer talking, and he said that they found him in a truck. They thought he was sleeping in it, so they went to go knock on the window, but he did not respond. That's when they called an ambulance. Liam, are you alright?"

Liam panicked. It was Theo. Theo probably got the fever and maybe even the pneumonia from taking care of him on Monday. He must have been sick on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, so that was why he did not visit Beacon Hills' Burgers. Liam felt a little sick with that knowledge, as well.

"Liam, what's wrong?" His stepdad asked.

"I think I know him," Liam said.

"You do?"

"Can I see him? Can I come with you to work? I need to see him," Liam said urgently.

"Don't you work today?"

"No, please let me come with you."

"I don't think that would be a good—" Dr. Geyer started to say, however, one look from Liam made him change his mind. "I guess we could use someone to I.D. him. Sure, you can come."

"Thank you," Liam said. "Can we leave now?"

Dr. Geyer looked at him watch and sighed. "I guess," he said.

Liam and his stepdad went to the car. Liam was impatient to get to the hospital. He wished he would have looked for Theo sooner. Maybe he could have prevented Theo for becoming so sick. He stared out the window for the entire car ride. He could not sit still. He kept fiddling with his hands and tapping his feet.

Liam hopped out of the car before his stepdad completely parked it in the hospital parking lot.

"Woah, careful," Dr. Geyer said.

"Sorry," Liam replied. He followed his stepdad into the hospital. They traveled down a seemingly infinite number of hallways before reaching the Intensive Care Unit.

"His room's on the right up here," Dr. Geyer said, gesturing to a room up ahead.

Liam jogged up to the open door and looked inside.

"Good, he fell asleep again. He needs the rest," Dr. Geyer said.

There was the steady beat of a heart monitor and an IV drip hooked up to Theo. Liam thought he looked more pale than usual. Liam had seen Theo asleep once before, but this was different. Theo did not look as peaceful as he had been when he slept in Liam's house. This just looked wrong.

"Is he who you thought he'd be?" Dr. Geyer asked.

"Yeah. His name is Theo. Can I stay with him for a bit?" Liam said.

"Sure, if you want to. I don't think it would be a good idea for you to stay here for long, but it'll be okay for a little bit. I'll leave you alone while I check on my other patients," Liam's stepdad said, before leaving the room.

The sound of the heart monitor seemed to grow louder. It filled the room. Liam sat in a chair by the hospital bed. Theo's hand was hanging over the side of the bed towards Liam and he got an intense urge to grab it.

"Ah, what the hell," Liam said. Theo was asleep, after all. Liam slowly reached out and took Theo's hand in his. It was too cold. He sat there staring at Theo for a few minutes before he broke down. His head drooped, and he fixed his gaze on the ground.

"I'm sorry, it's my fault. I got you sick. I'm sorry. You could have died. I don't know what I would have done without you. It would have been all my fault."

"Not your fault," Theo said weakly.

"Theo!" Liam yelled as he jumped. He dropped Theo's hand instantly. Theo smirked at him. Liam was amazed. Even laying in a hospital bed, Theo retained his attitude.

"Shut up," Liam said.

"I didn't say anything," Theo said and laughed. His chuckling transitioned into a coughing fit.

"I'm sorry," Liam said.

"It's okay. They say laughter is the best medicine after all. By the way, how did you know I was here?"

"My stepdad is a doctor. He's been the one taking care of you. He mentioned you."

"Oh, okay. Thanks for being here."

"You were there for me when I was sick. The least I could do is return the favor."

Theo smiled genuinely at Liam's words. Liam did not reply. He was staring at Theo without thinking about it, until his stepdad cleared his throat from the doorway.

"Liam, sorry to interrupt, but I don't think you should stay much longer."

"Right," Liam said sadly. "Can I talk to you alone for a minute?"

"Okay, sure thing."

Liam's stepdad gestured for Liam to exit the room. Liam walked out, and Dr. Geyer followed him.

"What do you want to talk about?"

"It's Theo. It's my fault he's sick. He has been driving me to work every once and a while. I was sick one day that he was supposed to pick me up. Instead of leaving, he stayed and kept me company. I got him sick, and I feel bad about it."

"Okay, where is this going?"

"Well, you see, Theo doesn't have a place to stay. He needs more rest to recover properly, you said so yourself. He obviously won't be able to stay in the hospital the entire time. Can he stay with us? Just for a little bit? It's my fault he's sick. I want to make it up to him."

"I don't know, Liam. I would have to ask your mom—"

"She's be fine with it. She's met Theo. I know she wouldn't mind."

Dr. Geyer sighed. "Okay, if you say so. He should be ready to check out later today. You should probably just go home though, it's going to be a little while before the hospital discharges him."

"Actually, can I stay? I don't mind waiting."

"I have a feeling that I won't be able to convince you not to stay," Dr. Geyer said and chuckled. "Fine."

"Thank you," Liam said with a smile on his face. He hurried back into Theo's room and sat down next to the bed.

"My stepdad says you should be able to go home today," Liam said excitedly.

"Liam, but you know I don't have—"

"I know. So, that is why you are coming home with me."

"What—"

"I just asked my dad about it. He said it's fine. You can stay with us until you are fully recovered."

"I don't know what to say. I can't inconvenience your family like that."

"Theo, it's not a big deal. I want you to stay with us, okay? Please."

"Okay, thank you."

Liam and Theo sat talking for a few hours until Dr. Geyer came in and said that Theo was ready to be discharged. He was doing a lot better than when he originally came in. The biggest problem was that he was weak from going without food for a few days and trying to fight an illness at the same time. Theo's voice was a little raspy and he still had the occasional coughing fit. He was given antibiotics to take for the rest of the week to get rid of the last of his pneumonia. Liam was glad it did not take much time to get Theo out of the hospital. His stepdad handled most of the paperwork. Liam was glad he agreed to let Theo stay with them. He would not have taken no for an answer.

When the trio got back to Liam's house, Liam's mom had dinner ready on the table. Liam helped Theo carry the small amount of items he had upstairs to his room. Then, both boys got ready for dinner.

Liam was happy. Ever since he met Theo, he wanted to help him. Now he was finally getting a chance to. He did not know how long Theo would stay with them, but he hoped he would stay for as long as possible. Maybe then he would be able to sort out how he really feels about the other boy. All Liam knew for sure was that he wanted to spend more time with Theo. He wanted to help him, get to know him, hang out with him, smile with him, laugh with him, do everything with him. Liam looked to his right to see Theo contentedly chowing down on his food. Theo smiled at him when he caught Liam looking. Liam knew he could not fool himself any longer, he liked Theo. He liked him a lot.


	7. Chapter 7

Theo had been staying at Liam's house for a week. He was almost completely recovered from pneumonia. Liam was glad to see him recover so quickly, but at the same time, he knew that once Theo was fully recovered, he would not need to stay with him anymore. Theo still drove Liam to work and back home during the week. It was his way of returning the favor of Liam's family letting him stay with them. Liam wished he could have taken the week off. It was the first week that he disliked going to work. He would always check the clock constantly to see if it was almost time for him to go home and spend time with Theo again.

He decided not to tell Mason and Corey that Theo was staying at his house. He could only imagine the crazy ideas they would get in their head if he did tell them. He would rather be spared the ridicule.

He felt bad for Theo. Liam had no idea what he did while he was gone. He hoped Theo did not have to deal with awkward conversations with his parents. Theo never mentioned anything about it, but Liam never asked either.

"How are you feeling today, Theo?" Dr. Geyer asked at the breakfast table.

"Good, really good," Theo said between bites.

"That's great. Maybe today will be your last day with us then."

As if on cue, Theo started coughing and almost choked on his pancakes.

"Or, maybe not," Dr. Geyer said. Liam secretly let out a sigh of relief.

After breakfast, and after Liam's parents went to work, Liam and Theo started playing video games. That was their tradition for the past week Theo was there. Theo was surprisingly good at it. Liam was going to go easy on him at first because he figured that he probably did not get many chances to play video games. It did not take very long before Liam needed to actually try in order to beat Theo. By this point, Liam had to try his hardest and he still had a hard time winning. They were sitting shoulder-to-shoulder on Liam's bed.

"If you hit me with a blue shell one more time, I swear to God I will murder you!" Liam growled out.

"I don't need a blue shell to beat you. You suck," Theo said.

"Hey, I let you stay in my house and this is how you treat me? I will beat you this time."

"I'd like to see you try," Theo smirked.

"Take that, I'm in first!"

"Not for long."

Liam heard the dreaded beeping of a blue shell homing in on him.

"No no no no no, you jerk! How dare you! No!"

Theo laughed, and Liam could not take it. He tossed his controller to the side and tackled Theo before he could pass the finish line.

"Gah," Theo shouted. Both boys started laughing. After a minute of laughter, an awkward silence fell upon the two. Liam leaned down closer without thinking about it. Theo cleared his throat. That was what it took to snap Liam out of his daze. He blushed and immediately sat up off of Theo.

"Sorry," Liam said, unable to make eye contact with Theo.

"It's okay. I still beat you," he said.

"What!" Liam shouted, turning towards to television screen. Theo was right. He managed to pass the finish line right before Liam tackled him. "No!" Liam shouted.

Theo continued laughing.

"I'm going to murder you," Liam said. Theo saw the seriousness in Liam's eyes and his smile dropped. He slowly started shifting away from Liam on the bed. Suddenly, Theo jumped up from the bed and started running. Liam was quick to follow. Soon the two boys were running around the entire house. Liam's parents were both at work, so they did not have to worry about bothering anyone. Their feet sounded like thunder as they bounded through the house. Liam had an advantage because he knew the layout of the house like the back of his hand.

It was not long before Theo messed up. He tripped and ran into a wall. He turned around—back to the wall—just in time for Liam to pin him against said wall. Both of them spent a moment catching their breath. It was a moment spent staring at each other. Liam did not know what to do. He said he was going to murder Theo. Well, he had his chance. Now what?

"Ah, screw it," Liam said. He dived in and kissed Theo. His mind was blank of all thoughts. It was a quick and hungry kiss. It was predatory like something took over his mind and body. When Liam pulled away, they were breathing heavier than they had after the chase. Theo looked stunned. Liam felt stupid. He removed his hands from either side of the other boy.

"Sorry," Liam said, not able to make eye contact for twice that day.

"Took you long enough."

"What?" Liam looked up to see Theo smirking. Theo looked down at his lips, and then it was Liam's turn to be shocked when Theo grabbed him by his shirt collar and pulled him into another kiss. This one was slower and more passionate. It was the moment they both realized how much they really needed each other. They needed each other like the sky needs the stars. Liam knew his world would be a lot darker without Theo in it. He did not think he could express how much Theo meant to him, but he was going to try. His hands found Theo's hair. After staying with him for a week, Liam found out how protective Theo is of his hair. He would probably be pissed at Liam for messing it up, but Liam could not care less.

Liam did not know how long it was before they finally broke apart. Liam took a deep breath and tried to regain his composure. Internally, he was freaking out. He did not want that to show externally. Theo tried to take a deep breath but then pneumonia kicked in and he started coughing. Liam winced on his behalf.

"Sorry," he muttered.

"'S okay," Theo got out between coughs. "Worth it."

Liam got Theo a drink of water and some cough medicine. They sat together on the couch in Liam's living room until Theo caught his breath. Liam sat there thinking over the past few moments. It was almost like a blur in his mind. Everything happened so fast. He wished he could rewind his mind and play it over again in slow motion. Although, one thing stuck out in his memory.

"What the heck did you mean by 'took you long enough'?"

"I thought you were never going to make a move. I was getting tired of waiting. I was about ready to just suck it up and admit that I like you, but that would be no fun."

"Wait, you like me?"

"Your intellect never ceases to amaze me," Theo said, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Shut up," Liam snapped.

"Make me," Theo said with a smirk, turning towards Liam on the couch and leaning forward.

"Oh, you'd like me to make you shut up, wouldn't you? I won't do it, nope," Liam said.

"Wha—"

"You made fun of me, and you didn't tell me that you liked me."

"So, you're going to pout until I apologize or something? You can't really be that petty?"

"I can, and I will be as petty as I want to be. You were fine waiting for me to make a move before, I'm sure you'll be fine waiting for me to get over it," Liam said.

"Fine," Theo growled out. Before Liam could register what was happening. Theo shot up and tackled Liam, pinning him under him on the couch. "Liam, I like you and I should have told you sooner, I'm sorry. Happy now?" Liam did not bother replying. It was his turn to grab Theo by the shirt collar.

"Apology accepted," Liam said after another quick kiss. Theo tried to push himself up but ended up slipping and falling on the floor. Liam enjoyed thoroughly laughing at him for a few minutes before reluctantly helping Theo up. They did not move from the couch until Liam's parents got home. They simply sat—practically on top of each other—and watched movies together.

"You probably can't stay with us much longer," Liam said absentmindedly while they were lounging.

"I know," Theo said sadly.

"What are you going to do? Go back to living in your truck?"

"For now. It's fine. I was thinking about trying to find a job sometime soon. Maybe then I could save up enough to get a small apartment. Then I might be able to afford a cellphone, too."

"That would be helpful. I think it would be a good idea for you to look for a job. I don't like you living in your truck. You seriously could've died last week. I never want to see you in that situation again. I was so worried."

"I know. I'm sorry I worried you. I'll do my best not to let it happen again."

"You better do your best. Gosh, if you died, I would've killed you."

"You know that wouldn't work, right?"

"Shut up," Liam said. "My parents are going to be home any minute, we should move."

Theo let out a sad sigh, but moved off the couch anyway. They both went upstairs. Liam went to his room and Theo went into the bathroom next to Liam's room. Less than a minute later, Liam heard Theo shout at him from the bathroom, "You messed up my hair!" Liam could not help but laugh hysterically. Of all the things that happened that day, Theo was worried about his hair. Liam was glad that that was the biggest issue Theo had to worry about now. He did not have to worry about food, or shelter, or sickness, or anything else, at least for the moment. Liam could handle Theo being mad about his hair. He would take that over worrying about Theo's wellbeing any day. Liam hoped someday he would not have to worry about Theo at all. He hoped he could somehow find a way to live a normal life. Liam did not know how he got into the situation he was in now, but he wished that Theo did not have to be in this situation at all. Of course, Liam realized that he never would have met Theo if he was not homeless and living in his truck. He was grateful for that, at least. He did not want to be cheesy and call it fate, but Liam knew there were a whole lot of coincidences that had to happen in order for him to meet Theo. He was grateful that those coincidences allowed their lives to collide. That was the best way Liam could describe it: a collision. Theo burst into Liam's life and changed everything. It was chaos, but Liam would not have it any other way.


	8. Chapter 8

Today was the day Liam had been dreading. His stepdad had given Theo a clean bill of health. Theo could not stay at Liam's place any longer. Liam was sad to see him go. He made Theo promise to visit him at work as much as he could. Theo assured him that he would stay in touch and that he would still give Liam rides if he needed them. Just like that, Theo was gone. Liam felt like he was overreacting a bit. After all, he only met Theo a few weeks ago. Sure, they kissed a few times, but Liam still did not know what that meant for him and Theo. They never really talked about it. Were they dating now? Was that just a random fluke? Liam hoped it was more than a one-time thing. Well, Liam figured the only thing he could do right now was wait and hope that everything worked itself out. So, that is what he did.

The next week went by normally for Liam. Normal, except for one thing: Theo was annoyingly absent. He disappeared—again. The hours Liam spent at work dragged on with no visitors. After one or two angry glares, Mason and Corey stopped teasing him about Theo.

"Must have been a bad breakup," Corey whispered to Mason one day when he thought Liam would not be able to hear him. At this point, Liam wished they would have formally broken up—even if they never really were a couple in the first place. This was worse than a breakup, in Liam's opinion. There was no reason for Theo's absence, he was just gone. That was the worst part: the unknown.

Liam left work that day feeling particularly grumpy. He did not even say goodbye to his coworkers, he just left.

The next day was Liam's day off, and Liam was glad to have a break. It had been just over a week since Theo left. Liam expressed his frustrations while eating breakfast with his parents on that Saturday morning.

"I haven't seen Theo since he left. Last time he disappeared like this he got pneumonia. Could he have relapsed or something? Can you have a relapse with pneumonia? What does that even mean anyway?" Liam said.

"Liam, calm down, I'm sure he's fine," Liam's mom said.

"It's okay, Liam. As a matter of fact, I just saw him this morning. Before he left last week, I told him to come in for a check-up after a week. So, I saw him for that today and he's doing fine, trust me," Dr. Geyer said.

"I don't get why I haven't seen him in over a week, though," Liam said.

"I'm sure there's a logical explanation, Liam," Dr. Geyer said.

"Maybe," Liam said, definitely not convinced.

"By the way, your mom and I are going out to eat with some old friends tonight, so we won't be home for dinner," Liam's stepdad said.

"Sorry to spring that on you so last minute. I hope you don't mind," Mrs. Geyer said.

"No, it's okay. Have fun," Liam said.

Liam's parents left later in the afternoon, and Liam was left alone. He planned on spending the entire night playing video games on his computer. He missed having a Player 2.

Just as he was waiting for the video game to load, his phone vibrated. It was a text from an unknown number.

"Look outside," was all the message said. Intrigued by the mysterious message, Liam got up to see if there was anything outside his window. He opened his curtains to see Theo waving at him. While Theo might have been expecting Liam to open the window and talk to him, Liam was feeling particularly petty tonight. He glared down at Theo angrily and closed his curtains. He wanted to make it clear that Theo could not just show up after disappearing for a week and act like nothing happened. As soon as Liam sat back down in his desk chair, his phone started ringing. Again, it was an unknown number. Liam sighed heavily before answering.

"What?" He said with as much anger as he could convey in one word.

"Liam, I'm sor—"

"And since when did you get a phone?"

"I can expla—"

"Have you been lying to me about not having a phone?"

"I was going to say—"

"You're a jerk, you know that?"

"Liam!" Theo said harshly, "Look, I know I'm a jerk, but please let me talk. Can you just come outside? I'm not used to talking on the phone like this, I want to talk to you in person."

"Fine," Liam said and hung up as Theo was trying to thank him.

Liam wandered down to the front door, contemplated if he actually wanted to go outside or not, called Theo a bunch of awful names in his head, and then finally went outside. Theo was leaning on the front of his truck which was sitting in Liam's driveway. Theo looked better than the last time Liam saw him. He looked healthier. He was clean-shaven, and his hair was well-groomed. To top it all off, his clothes looked new and fancier than what Liam normally saw him wear. Liam was shocked and puzzled by Theo's change in appearance.

"You said you could explain. So, explain," Liam said.

"I'm sorry I've been gone for the whole week. I know I promised to visit you. But, I was waiting until today to come see you. I had it planned, I wanted to surprise you," Theo said.

"Surprise me with what?" Liam said.

"I got a job. It was all thanks to your stepdad actually. He helped me get a job at the hospital as a janitor. I got my first paycheck yesterday. I got a phone, some new clothes, and reservations at a nice restaurant. I was hoping you would be willing to go with me," Theo said.

"You're still an idiot. Why would you want to waste your money on a nice restaurant when you could use it for more meals throughout the week?"

"Because of you. I wanted to be able to pay you back for all the meals you've bought for me. I don't want to be in your debt forever."

"You never were in my debt, Theo. A lot of those meals I didn't pay for, anyway. And, I got them for you because I like you, not because I want you to feel like you owe me something. You don't owe me anything. I was just hoping you'd stick around, that's all." Liam could see the hurt look on Theo's face as soon as he finished his sentence. He did not mean to guilt-trip Theo. He was silent for a moment before replying.

"I like you, too. And I would really enjoy it if you joined me for dinner tonight. And I promise that this will be the last time I disappear on you again. At least now you can call me to yell at me if you want to."

"That is very true. You're going to regret giving me your phone number," Liam said, walking up to Theo and then around to the passenger side of his truck.

"Never," Theo said, smiling, before climbing into his truck. Liam did the same. Both boys buckled up before Theo backed out of Liam's driveway.

"So," Liam said, "My stepdad helped you get the job?"

"Yeah, we talked about it when you were at work during that week I stayed at your house. I said I wanted to get a job to save up money and hopefully go to college someday, but no one was willing to hire me. He said he might be able to pull some strings at the hospital so that I could be a janitor. It's not the best job, but it's something," Theo said.

"Wow, that's awesome. I can't believe he did that for you—and didn't tell me."

"I asked him to keep it a secret from you. He reluctantly agreed."

"And you said you want to go to college? What do you want to do?"

"I want to be a doctor. It's always been a dream of mine. I just never thought I'd ever be able to achieve that dream. I told your stepdad that I wanted to be a doctor someday, and that is why he suggested I work at the hospital. He thinks that if I build up a good reputation there, I would have a better chance of landing a full-time job there in the future. I sure hope he's right."

"You, a doctor?"

"What? Can't picture it?"

"No, I can totally picture it. I'm so excited for you, Theo. You'd be a great doctor."

"Thanks. I'm glad you think so," Theo said, and after a pause added, "And, Liam?"

"Yeah?"

"I just want you to know that no matter where life takes me, I will always find my way back to you. You are the most important person in my life. I don't know where I'd be without you. You've changed my life so much. Thank you," Theo said.

Liam was speechless. He could not find any words to express how much Theo meant to him, too. Theo truly changed his life, as well. Even though he only met Theo a few weeks ago, it felt like he knew him forever. Liam thought back to when he first met Theo. It was his first day at work that he met. Liam could picture the future conversations now:

 _"Oh, how did you two meet?"_

 _"I gave him a free order of French fries."_

Liam would have guessed a few months ago that he would meet his future boyfriend while working at a fast food restaurant. Past Liam also would not have guessed that he would have a _boyfriend_ in the future. It certainly was a lot to think about. Liam decided to save the thinking for later. Right now, it was time to have a nice dinner with his boyfriend. Liam did not know what the future would bring, he just hoped that his future included Theo.

 **The End**


End file.
